Criminal Justice News

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

New Smart on Crime Program Aids Recently Released Offenders to Reenter the Community

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of
Pennsylvania announced today that a unique partnership has been formed
consisting of local, regional and national private business entities to aid
moderate to high-risk offenders in the federal criminal justice system, who
have been recently released into the community.

The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of
Pennsylvania operates the Court Assisted Re-Entry (CARE) Program, which is a
four-phase program designed to aid in the rehabilitation and re-integration of
recently released federal inmates.The
members of the program include the U.S. District Court, U.S Attorney’s Office,
U.S. Probation, Federal Public Defenders Office and county volunteers.

A new partnership between ESSA Bank & Trust, Northampton
Community College, Pyramid Healthcare Inc. and the CARE Program institutes a
precedent setting program whereby CARE participants will team with a bank,
community college and healthcare officials to help them get back on their feet.

ESSA Bank & Trust will institute a Financial Literacy
Program where CARE participants will be instructed by bank officials on money
management issues.In addition, it will
institute a CARE Loan Program that would provide loans up to $15,000 to
qualifying active CARE participants and CARE graduates for housing,
education/training, or transportation.On Aug. 12, 2015, the official launch of the program, ESSA Bank &
Trust announced its first loan in the amount of $13,750 for a CARE participant
to purchase a car as transportation to her employment.

Northampton Community College will provide educational
opportunities including a G.E.D. program and adult basic education courses.

Pyramid Healthcare Inc. will administer a drug and alcohol
treatment and counseling program and perform a Level of Care Assessment for
each participant entering into the CARE program.

The combined partnership of the CARE Program will assist
individuals under federal supervision to successfully re-enter their
communities and become responsible, self-sufficient, contributing and
law-abiding citizens.

In early 2013, the Justice Department launched a
comprehensive review of the criminal justice system in order to identify
reforms that will ensure felony laws are enforced more fairly and more
efficiently.

This review led to the Smart on Crime initiative announced
by Attorney General Eric Holder in August 2013, which maps a way forward for
meeting our criminal justice challenges, including bolstering prevention and
reentry efforts to deter crime and reduce recidivism.The new CARE partnership with ESSA Bank &
Trust, Northampton Community College and Pyramid Healthcare is a step forward
in the “Smart on Crime” initiative and reinforces the Justice Department’s
commitment to making the criminal justice system work more efficiently.